ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE
Neither God nor Jesus are angels, but some Like Manoah & his wife, Samson’s parents, & Hagar who bore Ishmael to Abraham, were visited by the Angel of the Lord & afterwards declared they would surely die for they had seen & been spoken to by God. There is something very special about this angel for we are told that He encamps around those who fear the Lord. This painting shows the Angel of His Presence with Mary & us in all the stages of our lives. During INNOCENCE, FULFILMENT & DESPAIR, the breath or Spirit of God is around us & within us at all times
INNOCENCE – The breath, (word, spirit) of God is conveyed through the presence of the angel, shown as a white band of light in the picture. The angel’s hand is dark as he brings the news of God’s desire that Mary have a child the Saviour of mankind. While reading the word of God, His presence had come to her anew, not just as words & she accepted Him (have you?) Notice the spirit emerges from her with a DNA quality about it, (and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us). 4 rivers flow away from the angels feet (bottom left). Not knowing why I painted this, (probably to fill in the corner) God said this was the seed of His spirit flowing to all who, like Mary, received Him but many let it flow past them. It reminded me later of the 4 rivers that flowed from the Garden of Eden to water the earth.
FULFILMENT – This stage of her life holds great happiness & burning passion. Like us this is a heady time & the spirit of God burns flame like, white hot with joy and intensity as she, & we reach heights with God we never thought possible. Mary has born the fruit of her womb & we yearn to bear fruit for God in His service. Here God’s Spirit takes on the quality of a vine.
DESPAIR – Now intensely pure & shining His spirit pierces Mary like a sword. She stands in abandonment at the foot of the cross. Her garments like suffocating weeds blowing and binding her to a place she does not want to be. Having God’s plan for her fulfilled she now has to endure the fulfilment of His plans for mankind in her dying son. Here the Spirit of God is transparent as though He has left her. I wonder if you sometimes feel as though He has abandoned you? LOOK AGAIN! – Here the angel’s hand is brightest, here she is closer to Jesus than ever before, here the breath of God passes through the dying heart of His punished Son & returns fulfilled & reconciled back to the throne of God.
One last thing. Notice the veil leaving Mary’s lifeless hand? I didn’t understand why I had painted that but Amanda said “It’s the baby blanket, Jesus shawl, she’s letting him go.” Is there something that you are not letting go of? Mary let him go back to God so that all mankind could receive His spirit. Perhaps by not letting go of something you are stopping God from doing even more wonderful works in your life & the lives of others around you.